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NASB | Romans 2:15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 2:15 They show that the essential requirements of the Law are written in their hearts; and their conscience [their sense of right and wrong, their moral choices] bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or perhaps defending them |
Subject: Are the unevangelized people really lost |
Bible Note: Dear Pixie, You wrote: "I can't believe that everyone (African tribes or Nomads of the Himalyas,etc) who has not heard the gospel was made for bad thereby being unable to receive His mercy." I said that it was a difficult docrtine to swallow, and I meant it! Jesus warned the unbelieving jews "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; (John 6:44). Only those whom God has called, those whom He draws, believe the gospel. It is not the opportunity to hear the gospel that determines whether anyone will be saved or not; salvation depends on whom God has predestined to bestow His mercy. "...God chose those whom he was pleased to bring to a knowledge of himself, not based upon any merit shown by the object of his grace and not based upon his looking forward to discover who would "accept" the offer of the gospel. God has elected, based solely upon the counsel of his own will, some for glory and others for damnation (Romans 9:15,21). He has done this act before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1:4-8). This doctrine does not rule out, however, man's responsibility to believe in the redeeming work of God the Son (John 3:16-18). Scripture presents a tension between God's sovereignty in salvation, and man's responsibility to believe which it does not try to resolve. Both are true -- to deny man's responsibility is to affirm an unbiblical hyper-calvinism; to deny God's sovereignty is to affirm an unbiblical Arminianism. The elect are saved unto good works (Ephesians 2:10). Thus, though good works will never bridge the gulf between man and God that was formed in the Fall, good works are a result of God's saving grace. This is what Peter means when he admonishes the Christian reader to make his "calling" and "election" sure (2 Peter 1:10). Bearing the fruit of good works is an indication that God has sown seeds of grace in fertile soil." (http://www.reformed.org/calvinism/) God bless you as you seek to learn His truth. John |